What Hiring Managers Need to Know About Today’s Engineering and Energy Workforce – A Conversation with Recruiting Manager Steve Cochrane
I’ve spent years recruiting professionals for engineering, energy, manufacturing, and industrial projects, and one thing I can say about today’s hiring market is that good candidates have options.
There is a lot of work happening across the industries we support at The FootBridge Company. That’s great for candidates, but it can make things difficult for hiring managers trying to build their engineering and energy teams. Companies that move too slowly or get too focused on finding a candidate who checks every single box can miss out on some very good people.
As a Recruiting Manager at FootBridge, I talk with candidates and hiring managers every day. Here are seven things I think employers should keep in mind when they’re trying to hire for engineering and energy projects in today’s market.
1. Speed matters more than ever
One of the biggest mistakes I see companies make is simply taking too long to interview. If one company isn’t moving quickly enough, there’s a good chance another one will. We see it happen all the time. We find a candidate who is qualified and interested in a position, but if it takes weeks to schedule an interview or get feedback, that person probably isn’t sitting around waiting. They’re talking with other companies, interviewing for other projects, and potentially receiving offers.
That doesn’t mean companies should rush into hiring someone who isn’t right for the job. But if you see a resume you like, schedule the interview. If you have a good interview, provide feedback and keep things moving. The longer you wait, the greater the chance that the candidate will be off the market.
2. Look beyond the exact job description
Another thing I encourage hiring managers to do is be flexible when it comes to experience. Sometimes we’ll speak with a candidate who doesn’t have the exact background listed in the job description, yet they have a lot of transferable experience that could make them successful in the role. Maybe they’ve worked in a different industry but have similar project experience. Maybe their previous title was different, but the work itself was very close to what the hiring manager needs.
That’s where it helps to look beyond titles and focus on what the person has actually done. Technical knowledge, project experience, safety awareness, leadership ability, and experience working in complex industrial environments can all transfer from one setting to another. If you’re too rigid about finding the “perfect” resume, you can end up passing on someone who could be a great addition to the project.
3. Communication builds trust with candidates
Communication is probably one of the biggest things candidates value when working with a recruiter. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve spoken with who say they submitted a resume through another recruiter and then never heard from that person again. No feedback. No update. Nothing.
We try hard not to operate that way.
When I receive feedback from a hiring manager, I want the candidate to know. If they have an interview coming up, we’re going to help them prepare. If the hiring process is taking longer than expected, I’d rather tell them that than leave them wondering what happened.
We’re also checking in to find out what else they have going on. Are they interviewing somewhere else? Has anything changed with their current job? Are they getting close to another offer?
When communication is consistent on both sides, the entire hiring process becomes easier. It also gives our clients a much better understanding of where a candidate stands throughout the hiring process.
4. Data centers are creating new workforce demand
One area I’m especially interested in right now is data centers. They’re being built all over the country, and those facilities need a huge range of people to design, build, commission, operate, and support them. But it goes beyond the data center itself. All of that infrastructure needs power, creating additional opportunities across the energy and power markets.
We’re seeing demand that touches engineering, construction, electrical infrastructure, power generation, utilities, commissioning, operations, and other supporting disciplines. From a recruiting perspective, it’s exciting because these projects are creating opportunities for candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. It also means companies may increasingly compete for the same experienced people.
5. Difficult Positions Require a Hands-On Search
When a client comes to us with a position they’ve been struggling to fill, we first want to understand why it’s been difficult. Maybe the skill set is very specific, there aren’t many qualified candidates in the area, or the people with that experience are already working. From there, we’ll start with the local market and then expand the search if we need to
Other times, it takes a much deeper search. That means spending hours going through our internal database, LinkedIn, Indeed, professional networks, referrals, and other resources to find people who could realistically fit the position.
The goal is to:
- Talk with people
- Understand what they’ve actually done
- Find out what they’re looking for
- Determine whether the opportunity makes sense for both sides
Doing so becomes especially important with specialized positions because the right person isn’t always actively applying for jobs. Sometimes you have to find them.
6. Culture and compensation matter
The things candidates care about have changed over the years, but right now I’d put company culture and compensation near the top of the list. There are too many opportunities out there for companies to ignore either one. If someone feels like they aren’t being paid fairly or they’re working in an environment they don’t enjoy, they’re probably going to be more willing to listen when another opportunity comes along.
And today, there are plenty of projects for them to consider. Companies may spend a lot of time thinking about how to attract good people, but retaining the ones they already have is just as important. You can’t wait until somebody gives notice to start thinking about whether they’re happy. Employers need to stay aware of compensation, management, project culture, communication, and whether employees feel valued for their work.
7. A strong hiring process can be a competitive advantage
If there’s one thing I’d want hiring managers to take away from all of this, it’s that good candidates rarely stay available for long. When we send over someone you’re interested in, move quickly. Get the interview on the calendar. Give us feedback. And if the person doesn’t have the exact background you originally pictured, take a closer look at whether their experience could transfer.
Recruiting works best when there is good communication between everyone involved — the recruiter, the candidate, and the hiring manager. Looking ahead, I don’t see a shortage of work across the industries FootBridge supports. Across energy, manufacturing, industrial facilities, data centers, renewables, civil construction, and commercial projects, there are some massive projects underway and more on the way.
That’s probably what excites me most about the next few years. There will be many projects that need talented people to get across the finish line. Our job is to find those people, understand what they’re looking for, and connect them with the companies that need their experience.
After more than 25 years in specialized staffing, that’s still what FootBridge is about. Contact us today to learn more.
